Aston Villa officially confirmed Steven Gerrard’s appointment as Dean Smith’s replacement at the Villa Park hotseat.
The former Rangers boss shared some details of his discussions with the Villans’ owners over the direction the club is heading in.
“Aston Villa is a club with a rich history and tradition in English football and I am immensely proud to become its new head coach,” the former Reds No.8 was quoted as saying by BBC Sport. “In my conversations with [co-owners] Nassef [Sawiris], Wes [Edens] and the rest of the board, it was apparent how ambitious their plans are for the club and I am looking forward to helping them achieve their aims.”
According to the publication in question, the West Midlands-based outfit arranged compensation amounting to £4.5m to steal the ex-England international away from his employment in the Scottish Premiership.
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It’s a move that will no doubt infuriate a vocal minority of the Rangers fanbase, not least of all due to the fact that Gerrard has made the move mid-season.
Nonetheless, given the size of the opportunity in the English top-flight, few could begrudge the former Liverpool captain for seizing the chance with both hands.
We’ll be looking forward to seeing what the 41-year-old can do at the helm of Aston Villa and wish him nothing but the best of luck with the role.